The Promise
by nekoNamine
Summary: He had promised to his step-brother that they will get away from their horrible life. How did he fulfill the promise? Read about Toris' and Ivan's journey to one destination that will help them escape the clutches of their abusive mother, and along the way they meet many people, both hostile or kind. T for some swearing and death.
1. Roses and Thorns

**Hello~ nekoNamine here. This is my first story, and I hope you'll enjoy it! Oh, and Russia will be younger than Lithuania here.  
><strong>

**Lithuania: 12 years old**

**Russia: 9 years old**

**Also, if you listen to the Final Fantasy XIII OST: Atonement, I guarantee you it will fit well in this story. Maybe I should shut up now. XD  
><strong>

**Happy reading~!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Lithuania POV<strong>

"Hey Eduard! Pass me the ball!" I yelled.

Here! Don't let Raivis catch it!" came a reply. I ran after the ball.

Hey, no fair!" someone tried to run after me.

We had so much fun that I didn't didn't notice it was getting dark. "TORIS! What did I tell you?" a woman yelled. I turned around and saw an angry woman walk towards me. "Come with me right now! You didn't come back at sunset! I'll address your punishment when we get home!"

"But Mom-"

"You heard me! Let's go home." My mom grabbed my hand harshly. I bit back a yelp, and obediently followed along. I didn't have the time to say goodbye to my friends.

When we got back home, my mom threw me on the couch and slammed the door. She took off her coat and turned on the lights. Because of the sudden noise, my step-brother Ivan peeked from the wall. I spotted him, and he hid away and ran back to his room. I inwardly sighed. I turned to my mom, whose eyes are blazing.

"Well? Explain yourself," she said coldly. I gulped.

"I-I was playing with Eduard and Raivis. I didn't see that the sun set and-"

"Do you see why I barely let you go out and play? It's because you don't pay attention to the time," my mother snapped. I balled my fists under my back. "Now, your punishment is to clean the whole house every weekend. And you have to wash the dishes and feed the animals. **For a whole year.**" The person who I call mother stood up, and pointed to the floor. "Clean it."

"But-" I started. "I said clean it! You're just like your father."

That was the end of the line.

"Don't speak about my father that way!" I snarled. I jumped up and grabbed my mother's collar. "If he was here now he won't order me around to clean this mess of a house! He would love me and speak kindly to me! Unlike you! You're just a damn _ragana _(witch)!" I watched as her face switched from anger to shock. I let go of her collar and ran to my room, crying. I hid under my covers of my bed and slowly dozed off.

"Литва (Lithuania)?" My country's name. I sat up, recognizing the Russian accent. "What is it, Ivan?" The door was open, and Ivan peeked inside. "You can come in, Ivan." He ran up to me and hugged me tightly.

"мать (mother) is scary, Литва," he said, shaking. I hugged him close and patted his head. "Everything will be okay, mažai (little) Ivan. Don't worry," I whispered. "We'll get out of this mess for sure."

**One month later...**

"Toris! Get over here!" my mom shouted. I ran over to the living room, abandoning the animals. "Explain to me how there is still dust on the table?" she demanded.

"I-" I started, then felt sharp pain on my forehead. A crash sounded. Thick liquid ran down my forehead and above my eyes. _Blood. _I suddenly felt dizzy.

"Hmph. That will teach you to clean more properly." I looked at the floor. _A vase. A broken vase._

"Clean that up. I'll be leaving for the market. And when I come back, I expect to see the whole house clean." She walked away. The dizzying got worse.

The last thing I remembered was the front door closing and Ivan crying above me, screaming at me to wake up.

I blacked out.

* * *

><p><strong>...Is that a cliffhanger? Well, it might in your opinion. Ugh, I don't know...<strong>

**ANYWAY. I hope you liked my first chapter. Short chapter is short though. -.- **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Axis Powers Hetalia AT ALL. Just this form of a story and my OC's that will show up sometimee~**

**Thanks for reading! AND REVIEW~! Or else I'll make you eat Iggy's scones... *evil laugh***


	2. Visit from the Enemy's Friend

**THAT'S RIGHT. I JUST UPDATED IN THE SAME DAY. XD**

**Well, not much to talk about, so let's move on to the story, shall we~**

**FFXIII OST Recommendation for this chapter: Final Fantasy XIII OST The Vestige**

**Happy reading~!**

* * *

><p><strong>Russia POV<strong>

I saw everything. Everything that she did to him. From the day our father died to now. And this has to be one of the worst happenings in that time period.

"Toris! Проснись! Не оставляй меня! (Wake up! Don't leave me!)" I cried, shaking Toris. He didn't move. The blood steadily flowed from his forehead to the cold stone floor. He began to grow a bit pale. I shakily stood up and ran to the kitchen. I grabbed as much tissues as I can and ran back to the living room. I pressed the tissues on his forehead, but it still continued flowing. I ran back and forth to the kitchen, until there was no more tissues left. I cried hard, some tears falling on Toris's face. "Toris!" I said again.

I didn't know what to do. I frantically searched throughout the house for something to stop Toris's bleeding. I sank down on my knees, giving up. I dried my face with my scarf...

_My scarf._

THAT'S IT!

I jumped up and ran to Toris, who seemed to be unconscious. I took off my scarf, carefully wrapped it around Toris's head, and sat back down again, looking at him. _Now what?_

Suddenly the door opened. "Trish, are you home?" a woman's voice asked. I looked up. It was our mom's friend, Yekaterina. "Oh, my! Ivan, what happened?" she cried, seeing the unconscious figure of Toris. She ran over to me, dropping her basket of bread. "What happened to Toris?" she asked, looking at me in the eye.

I hesitated. _Will she believe me...?_

"M-My mom threw a vase at Toris for not cleaning properly," I stuttered. Yekaterina's face transformed with utter surprise. "She... did _what_?"

I nodded shakily. "Please, save Toris! He might-"

"I will, alright? Now go over to your room and relax for a bit. Let me heal him, okay?" Yekaterina said, smiling faintly at me. I saw something in that smile. _Pure kindness._

It was something that I haven't seen in years. I nodded, relieved, and walked back to my room. When I reached the corner, I turned around and peeked behind the wall. I saw Yekaterina work diligently with her hands, and carried Toris and set him down on the couch. She watched over him, and said, "Didn't I tell you to go to your room and rest?" She looked at the wall where I was hiding and sighed. "Come here, you," she said affectionately. I hesitated, then ran towards her. Yekaterina hugged me, and I was shocked. _Her hugs... they're like Toris's. Warm and affectionate._ At the thought of Toris, I broke down.

"Sweetie, everything will be alright. Don't think that everything will be over," Yekaterina murmured. I kept on crying and crying. She patted my head.

"Мені шкода (I'm sorry), but I have to leave now. Natalya will be mad if I don't come home before dark," she said. She stood up and smiled sadly at me. "Stay strong. Don't make rash decisions. And always believe that you will reach a safe and happy future." Yekaterina walked out, and at the door, she said, "I'll see you. Remember my words, okay?" I followed her out the door and nodded. She tousled my hair, walked away, and waved goodbye. I waved back, slightly happy. _She understood. Toris and I. Our problems. _And as I watched her disappear from the distance, I closed the door and walked up to Toris.

"брат (brother), did you hear her? We can reach a safe and happy future if we believe we can reach it.," I murmured, holding Toris's hand.

_A safe and happy future..._

* * *

><p><strong>AAANNNNDDD DONE! How was that chapter? Good? Bad? TELL MEH. XD<strong>

**If you didn't like Russia's moods here in this chapter, I'M SOO FREAKING SORRY. But it was for my story's sake... XD**

**Special thanks to L4DRULEZ900! You're the best!  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN AXIS POWERS HETALIA. OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE SLIGHTLY SAD. AND TEARJERKING. (I'm just kidding. XD)  
><strong>


	3. Second Strike

**This chapter will be a bit longer than the last two. Just letting you know~**

**FFXIII OST Recommendation: Final Fantasy XIII OST: Sulyya Springs**

**Happy Reading~!**

* * *

><p><strong>Lithuania POV<strong>

"брат_ (brother), did you hear her? We can reach a safe and happy future if we believe we can reach it."_

_..._

_Ivan...?_

_"Can you hear me?"_

_Yes, I can... but why can't I open my eyes?_

_"If you can, then promise me something."_

_What is it, mažai Ivan?_

_"Promise me that we'll get away from this horrible life. I want to live in a happy home with kind people and that we have a garden full of sunflowers, and no cold or freezing at all! C-Can you promise me that?"_

_Ivan, that's a bit too specific... but I'll try to fulfill it, because your my step-brother._

I managed to nod slightly.

A gasp. "T-Toris?" the hopeful voice of Ivan said.

"I promise, Ivan," I murmured.

"TORIS!" Ivan yelled happily, and hugged me tightly and started crying. I sat up slowly and patted his head, trying to ignore the throbbing in my head. I slowly opened my eyes, and I was surprised to find a basket of bread on the table next to the couch. "Where did you get that? Did you steal?"

Ivan shook his head and looked up at me with his innocent purple eyes. "старшая сестра (big sister) Yekaterina came by," he replied. "Yekaterina?" I said with surprise. "She healed you for a bit, then she left this basket of bread here. I think it was for _mom_." I noticed that he spat out the word 'mom' with slight anger. I sighed and rubbed my forehead, surprised to find Ivan's scarf there, and then looked out the window. The sun was about to set. "I was out for half the day?"

Ivan nodded, eyes tinged with sadness. "She might come back soon," he said.

"B-But we haven't cleaned yet..." I looked around. Spotting the broom not far away, I jumped up. "Ivan, help me, please." He looked up at me and nodded. "Okay!"

**A few hours later...**

"That's strange," I said, frowning and looked out the window. "She's not back yet." Ivan and I have been working vigorously, cleaning every nook and cranny in the house. But our mom hadn't arrived yet.

"Maybe she made a little detour," Ivan suggested. I ruffled his platinum blonde hair. "Well , let's try to make dinner before she comes back," I replied and walked to the kitchen, Ivan following me. I whipped up some _cepelinai_* while Ivan brought out the plates and cups. Once we were done, the door suddenly slammed open. "Toris?" the drunken voice of my mom called out. "Ivan?"

_This isn't good._

When our mom was drunk, she tends to take her anger and stress out on people. Sometimes she targets Ivan. _Sometimes. _But I was always her prime target.

"Go upstairs," I whispered to Ivan, and he nodded fearfully and ran to his room. I went over to the living room where my mom was slumped on the couch. _No store-bought food. So much for going to the market._

"Where were you, mom? Ivan and I finished cleaning and we also prepped up dinner," I said nervously. My mom looked at me. "Where did you get the bread?" she asked, her words slurred. I thought back to what Ivan said earlier. "Ah, that was from Miss Yekaterina. She came over and-"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" she roared. "You stole them, didn't you?" I looked at her with complete shock. "Why would I steal-"

She cut me off again. "I THOUGHT THAT I TAUGHT YOU BETTER THAN THAT!" she shouted, standing up. I stepped back, shaking a little. I watched her as she grabbed the broom that I used to clean the house earlier. "You're a disgrace! Stealing isn't good! ESPECIALLY FOR YOU!" Mom screamed, and whacked the broom on my head. Well, tried to at least. I blocked it with my arm, and I shouted and recoiled with pain. My arm turned red and started throbbing. My mom tried to aim for my head again, but this time I managed to catch the broom and gripped it tightly. "Mom. Let. Go,"I said, gritting my teeth. Damn, she was strong!

"Not until you have learned what you have done wrong!" she screamed again, and raised the broom, throwing me off balance. I fell to the floor, and watched with horror as she brought down the broom at me."Литве (Lithuania)!" _Wait, what?_

I screwed my eyes shut, and I heard a sickening _crack!_

I opened my eyes to see Ivan fall to the floor.

* * *

><p><strong>Russia POV<strong>

I heard screams and shouts from the living room echo to my room. I shivered a little, and, while holding on to my blanket, I tip-toed slowly and peeked out the wall to see what was going on.

And nothing good came from it.

I saw Toris trying to block an attack from the broom my mom was wielding, and he yelled and brought his left arm back with pain. My mom tried to attack him once more, but this time he caught it, but pain filled his eyes. He growled, "Mom. Let. Go."

Mom shouted again, and this time she threw Toris off balance. He fell to the floor and prepared to strike. I couldn't bear to watch it anymore. I ran to the living room to shield Toris, and yelled, "Литве!"

After that, everything went black.

But for some reason, I still could hear everything clearly.

"M-Mom, what did you..." the horrified voice of Toris said. I imagined him shaking with fear and shock.

I heard a _clack! _Like a broom falling to the floor. My mom screamed with horror, and I heard footsteps run to the hallway of our rooms and slammed a door. I felt a warm hand shake me. "Ivan..." Toris whispered. He seemed to be crying. "If you can hear me, we're leaving tonight..."

* * *

><p><strong>*sighs* This story sort of depresses me, you know? Nah, I'm not going to that subject. *winkwink nudgenudge*<strong>

**Cepelinai - this was mentioned in Hetalia (I forgot which season, forgive me! -.-); its basically like potato-meat dumplings... yummyy... *A***

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN AXIS POWERS HETALIA! Because if I did there would be TONS of fight scenes. I mean, the only legit fighting scene was in the movie! Okay, stopping my rant now... XD**

**Please, REVIEW or I'll make Germany come here and make you run ten laps! I'm just kidding. ;)  
><strong>


	4. Runaway

**Ohonhonhon~ I love updating in the same day~! It makes the story advance faster!**

**FFXIII OST Reccomendation: Final Fantasy XIII OST Start Your Engines (THIS WILL GET YOU GOING, I PROMISE YOU. Well, not really if you have a different taste of music. XD)**

**Приятного чтения ~! (Happy Reading~!)**

* * *

><p><strong>Lithuania POV<strong>

**Everything was quiet, you could hear a pin drop. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, and checked the clock. 11:58 p.m. Perfect. I looked over to Ivan. He seemed peaceful and at ease. I breathed a sigh of relief that he turned out fine after that fatal broom hit.**

Regretting that I had to wake him up, I shook him lightly. "Ivan," I whispered urgently. "Ivan, wake up." He moved slightly, and turned around and opened his violet eyes. "What is it, Toris?"

"We're going. Pack up your things," I replied. I saw his eyes glitter with hope. "You mean that we're leaving?" he asked. I nodded. With excitement, Ivan hopped out of bed quietly and grabbed his bag. I did the same, and once we were done, we grabbed some food and our jackets. I held Ivan's hand and we walked to the door silently. When I managed to open the door quietly, we set off through the cold night. "Don't look back, Ivan. It makes it harder to leave," I murmured to him as we walked in the street. Ivan looked up at me and nodded.

"Where do we go next, Toris?" he asked. I thought about that for a minute, then I remembered a friend who lives in Poland, not far away. Our house is near the border. _We can't cross the border when we're walking, though_. Then an idea struck me.

"We could have Yekaterina drive us to my friend's house," I told Ivan. Her house was in the outskirts of town, which was well away from our home.

"Which friend?" he asked.

"Feliks."

When we arrived at Yekaterina's home, I knocked on her door nervously. Someone yelled, "I'm coming!"_ This late at night?  
><em>

The door opened to reveal a surprised Yekaterina. "Boys!" she said. "What are you doing out so late?" I looked at Ivan, and he nodded. "W-We ran away, Yekaterina," I replied hesitantly. She looked at us for a minute, and smiled slightly. She knew about our mother's abusive ways. "O-Oh, of course. Come in." She opened the door wider, and we ran inside her warm home. She closed the door.

"You know, I can't let you live here," she said quietly. "If your mom finds out. she'll-"

"We're not staying at your home," Ivan piped up. Yekaterina looked at us with surprise. "Then where will you go?"

"We were planning to come to Feliks' house," I replied, holding Ivan's hand. She sighed. "Very well. Is my house a checkpoint or something?" she joked, poking my cheek affectionately. I laughed a little and shook my head. "Not really. I was hoping that you can drive us there."

Yekaterina stood up. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Very."

She smiled and ruffled my hair. "Well then, get in the car. Natalya just left for her whole-month trip to Росія (Russia), so it means that I'll be alone for a month!" Yekaterina told us, getting her car keys. We walked out to her garage, and used Natalya's car (Yekaterina shared with her because she wasn't able to afford one).

We went inside the BMW and looked around with awe. Our mom had a BMW as well, but it was old and rattly. She got in the driver's seat and started up the car. Before we knew it, Yekaterina had pulled out of the driveway and was driving through the street. She turned on the radio, and the news sounded.

"-severe car crash overnight, and it will take about half the day to clean up," a woman said. My eyes widened with worry. _Hopefully we can_ _get to Feliks' home soon._

"Are you okay, Toris?" Ivan asked, squeezing my hand gently. I snapped out from my trance and smiled at him lightly. "Yes, I am fine, Ivan."

"So where is your friends' house?" Yekaterina asked. "I-It's in Poland. Not far away from the town," I replied.

"Oh? Is it Feliks' home?" she said, surprised. "I used to work with his mom, you know." I brightened up. "Really?" I breathed a sigh of relief. _At least I don't have to explain which roads she has to go to! That saves a ton of trouble..._

We sat there humming to the music and enjoying the happy moment. Suddenly, there was a huge crash, and the car lurched forward. Ivan screamed and I hugged him tightly, yelling, "Yekaterina?"

The whole car rumbled, and I felt like I was in the air. The nose of the car then slammed on the pavement, and after that I blacked out.

* * *

><p><strong>*gasp* Do you think they survived the car crash? I'll tell you... IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! XD Sorry. ;P<strong>

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN AXIS POWERS HETALIA! If I did, then you would see Italy's mafia side. Nehehehehehhheeeee~ XD**

**REVIEW, if you want to know what happens next! Reviews are like my motivators! It makes me happy to keep writing, and sad because, I cry while I unfold this story even further. Oh, the sadness...  
><strong>


	5. When the Raven Calls Once More

**Hey~! In this chapter, it will have my OC's POV in it, along with her** **brother**.** Her profile is at the end of the chapter, mkay~? But first, it's Russia's turn! Right, let's get this show moving on!**

**Laimingas Skaitymas ~! (Happy Reading~!)**

* * *

><p><strong>Russia POV<strong>

_Toris... Yekaterina..._

_Are you alright...?_

_I'm here..._

_But where are you?  
><em>

I opened my eyes. I heard a steady, monotone beep. I blinked a few times to find a girl with different colored eyes looking back at me. When she realized that I was awake, she squealed and disappeared from my view. I sat up suddenly. A white room. Monotone beeping. I looked down. _Where's my scarf? And what is this? I thought I wore something different..._

I looked around with shock. My suspicions were right. _I'm in a hospital._

"Toris! Where is he?" I yelled. "Toris! Екатерина (Yekaterina)!" I looked wildly at the girl, whose strange eyes were wide with shock. "Where are they? Where's Toris and старшая сестра (big sister) Yekaterina?"

"U-Uh... они находятся в другой комнате через коридор ... (they're in the other room across the hallway)," the girl replied in Russian. I looked at her and asked more calmly, "Вы можете взять меня туда (can you take me there)?" She hesitated.

"B-But, you're not supposed to get out yet," she stuttered with heavily accented English. I shook my head. "No. I **have **to see them!" I insisted. The girl's eyes looked down on the floor. She looked like she was in Toris' age; she had her silver hair tied up with a hairtie with a bell; her eyes... one eye was green and the other was blue. _Is that a disease*?_

The door opened to reveal a tall boy who wore his dark brown hair in a small ponytail like Toris's. He came in, holding a tray of food. "I see that he's awake," he said. He set down the tray and looked at the silver-haired girl. "Irina, did you wake him up?" the boy asked, slightly annoyed. The silver-haired girl, or Irina, shook her head and said, "Not really..." She perked up. "брат (brother), he wants to see his friends," Irina said. _These two are siblings...?_

The boy shook his head. "Sorry, but he can't leave yet. Elizaveta's orders."

"But Lukas-"

"No. Take it up with Elizaveta if you want to," Lukas said firmly. Irina merely sighed. "Alright." Lukas looked at me sadly with his intense blue eyes. "Are you Ivan?" he inquired.

"да (Yes), I am," I replied. "Are Toris and Yekaterina alright?"

"If they're the people across the hallway, then Toris, the brown-haired guy, he's alright. But the other person, Yekaterina..." Lukas looked down, trailing off. My eyes widened with shock. _No! It's not true!_

"I-Is she..." I whispered. Irina looked at me with pure pity and sadness. "да," she replied. "We are afraid so..."

"NO! THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE! SHE WAS JUST ABOUT TO TAKE US SOMEWHERE ELSE SAFE!" I screamed, crying. I tore off the mask around my head and jumped out of the bed. I pushed Lukas and Irina away and ran to the room across mine. It said on the door, 'YEKATERINA C." I slammed the door open and ran inside, surprising a few nurses and doctors. I heard Irina and Lukas running after me, but I had a head start. Once I reached the bedside, I nearly had a heart attack. There lay Yekaterina, eyes closed, but her body was embedded with severe scratches and bruises. Her skin was pale, and there was no beep. _She was dead._

"Yekaterina!" I screamed. "старшая сестра (big sister), don't go away! You promised to take us to Feliks' home! You promised!" I felt a warm hand hold mine, and another hand held my other. I looked up, tears streaming. It was Toris and Irina. Lukas stayed near the door, face shadowed with sadness.

"T-Toris..." I started, then I ran to his arms, crying. "Toris! She wasn't supposed to get hurt! This is all my fault! I made you promise to get away from mom, and you agreed! Then we left, and then we came to Yekaterina, and- and-" I couldn't finish my sentence anymore. I broke down, and Toris cried as well._ Do we have to sacrifice others for our selfish cause? I didn't want Yekaterina to die...!_

Irina hugged me, and cried softly. "I'm sorry..." she murmured. "Мне жаль (I'm sorry)."

We stood there, beside Yekaterina, and cried away our sorrows.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry, Ukraine! QAQ I just had to... *cries*<strong>

**Now, for my OC's profile:**

**Name: Irina**

**Age: 12**

**Height: 5'1**

**Weight: 101 lbs**

**Personality: soft, gentle, sweet, YANDERE**

**Appearance: wears her hair in a ponytail with a bell and wears a blue tank top, a white shirt underneath, and a black skirt**

**Eyes: heterochromic; blue and green**

**Hair: silver**

**Skin: fairly pale**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN AXIS POWERS HETALIA!**

**REVIEW, and read more tearjerking deaths in this fic as your present... *sniff*  
><strong>


	6. Story of Trisha, part 1

**OMFG I'M BAACCKKK :D**

**I'm SO SORRY for the ridiculous delay... but I have 2 weeks left until summer break! :D HURRAH! XD  
><strong>

**HAZINS. YOU JUST GAVE ME AN IDEA. :D You WILL see it in this chapter... Not to mention the fact that there might not be any abuse here. Oh, yeah. Also, you will see a lame surprise at the end of the chapter too. :3  
><strong>

**...  
><strong>

**BTW. I don't own Hetalia: Axis Powers in ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. Because I'm not as Prussian-awesome as Himaruya-sensei. .**

**Anyway, I think I'll stay quiet for now (keywords: FOR NOW. XD) Here we go~!**

* * *

><p><strong>Trisha's POV (:3 you'll see...)<br>**

"I'm home," I called out, as I slowly opened the creaking wooden door. There was no reply. I sighed with relief. _Phew. He's not here. __Maybe I'll enjoy life a little more. But his actions aren't really helping Mother..._ I closed the door.

I put down my bag next to the old gray couch and sat down, sighing once more. If Father wasn't here, things were a little tense in this old house. I looked over to the side, above my bag. The wall's paint was peeling, and the wall seemed to be broken down itself. The lamps were out of light too, and they were close to falling apart. The old, brown cabinets that held our pictures and albums from the old times seemed fine though. _Leave it to the antiques to last longer than the house itself. _I blinked, and made up my mind. Hopefully Father won't... _protest. In a ridiculously abusive way. Really.  
><em>

Tying up my hair, I went over to the closet next to the bathroom (which was dirty and gross too) and opened it up. Dust greeted me, and I sneezed, waving my hand. After the dust cleared, I took the old broomstick and dustpan. Making my way over to the living room, I began to sweep the floors, sneezing from time to time when the dust billowed up at my face. When I finished, I went back to the closet and took the furniture spray and wipes, and started the vigorous work. After an hour, I managed to finish cleaning the living room, with the lamps glowing in new light and the cupboards and cabinets looking new. Looking at the peeling walls with distaste, I ran to the back of the house (after tripping over a few boards) and made my way to the shed out in the backyard.

Taking a deep breath, I tried opening the shed door, to find that it wouldn't budge. _Figures. I knew it was stuck after all those years! _Sighing, I backed up from the door. _Guess I'll do this... _I ran up to the door suddenly, putting all my weight on my shoulder, and pushed through as hard as I could. With a loud _crack! _the door opened up, and I fell on the dusty floor of the shed, shrieking with surprise. I fell on my face, and I yelled, "OW!"

"Hey, what's going on?" I blinked and turned to find my friend, Yekaterina, peering inside the shed. "Are you okay, Trisha?"

"Y-Yekaterina!" I stammered. "How did you- Wait. Did I lock the front door?" Laughing nervously, my friend shook her head. "I'm afraid not..."

"WHAT- Oh, whatever!" I furiously shook my head free from the dust, sneezing right after. Yekaterina murmured a quiet "Bless you" as I stood up.

"Anyway, what are you doing in the shed?" asked Yekaterina. It was my turn to laugh nervously.

"Uh... deciding to clean the house myself?" I offered. My friend looked at me, amazed.

"So you've decided to clean up, huh? I was wondering if it would be rude if I asked you to clean the house because it was dirty and all, but I assumed right that you would take charge!" she exclaimed.

"You know I would!" I puffed up my chest proudly. A thought then crossed my mind. _Should I... No, she might go home now... oh, maybe just a teensy bit. _"Hey, do you want to help me paint the walls of the living room in my house?" I asked, then winced slightly. _I sound miserable... Geez!_

Yekaterina blinked, then after a few moments, nodded. "Sure! Natalya wouldn't mind me being gone for a while! And Mom usually won't come home before midnight anyway."

I happily yelled and tackle-hugged Yekaterina, catching her by surprise. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!" She laughed, and I released her from my hug, still grinning happily.

"Okay, first things first." Yekaterina sounded like a military trainer, and I stood up straight. "We need to get new paint at the department store in town, next to the school. I doubt that the paint back in the shed would do any good. Do you have any money?"

I was about to answer until my mind clicked. _No money. Father took it all for beer. Possibly drugs too. Mental note: don't be stupid and leave out the money for him to see. Capiche?_

I sighed heavily. "Sorry. I have zero money. Father took it all last wee-"

"Don't worry about that. I'll handle the money," Yekaterina cut in. I stared at her. _Okay... she practically agrees to stay with me and clean the house until midnight... THEN she offers that she would buy the paint for me. WHAT IN THE WORLD. YEKATERINA, I LOVE YOU (no homo)!_

"YOU. ARE. THE. MOST. AMAZING. FRIEND. I. HAVE. EVER. MET!" I yelled happily, and prepared to tackle-hug Yekaterina once more, until my phone in my pocket buzzed. Blinking, I took it out of my pocket and flipped it open. I recieved a message from an unknown number. It said: _Call 0207-1548. Important. Call immediately. Do not share my personal number. Have your father awake. Hurry._

After reading the part about waking Father up, slight anger flared in me. _I can take care of myself! _Clicking on the number, I put the phone to my ear and waited until someone picked up. Yekaterina tipped her head in confusion._  
><em>

"Hello? Trisha Kazlauskas **(A/N: Yeah. I looked for most common names in Lithuania... Deal with it. I'm sorry. :3)**?" a soft voice said on the other side. Gulping, I answered, "Yes. It's me. Who are you?"

"My name is Elizaveta Herdervary. I'm from the Baltic-American Medical & Surgical Clinic in the Vilnius area," said the voice. I stiffened at the mention of the name of the hospital, and Elizaveta continued, "I'm sorry to say that your mother, Remilia **(A/N: I DON'T OWN THE NAME) **has died from her life-long cancer. I'm very sorry to dump all this information on you, but may I speak to your father..."

In my head, Elizaveta's voice had died down, and everything was mute. I dropped the phone, and the world seemed to sway. Yekaterina seemed worried and reached for me, but before she caught me, I blacked out.

* * *

><p><strong>...happens all the time in the story, huh? Death and stuff. I'm sorry (sort of) that this fanfic is depressing. It gets even me depressed sometimes... SO!<strong>  
><strong> Looks like Elizaveta (or Hungary) has a minor role to play here, huh?<br>**

**Anyways, have you caught on yet? Trisha is Toris's and Ivan's mom, and this is when she was in high-school. :3  
><strong>

**Oh, yeah. I'll repeat this again... I SERIOUSLY DON'T OWN THE NAME REMILIA. I HAD A TOUHOU FANATIC MOMENT WHEN I COULDN'T FIND A NAME FOR TRISHA'S MOM'S NAME, AND YEAH. Touhou fans, you know who I'm talking about! XD  
><strong>

**See that button down below? It says REVIEW. And by the powers of England's magic, I COMMAND YOU TO REVIEW! XD But of course, you have the choice. Critiques and flames ARE allowed, but... watch out you flamers. I have Busby's Chair. :3  
><strong>

**I'll see you later, da~? ;)  
><strong>


	7. Irina's Sudden Problem

**CALLING ALL KINGDOM HEARTS FANATICS. :D**

**Got your attention? Good. So, a friend (xXSlyFoxHoundXx) and I are making a joint fanfic called "358/2 Days Lost". For some reason, the slash won't work, so it'll end up looking like '3582'. ._. Geez. So, if you're a Kingdom Hearts fan, and you somehow want to read out fanfic, be warned. Selphie is the villain (in Story Arc 1) and there will be multiple points of views, like Kairi to Sora then to Tifa then to Riku. If you wanna know why Tifa is there, PLEASE READ IT. :3 I'll be posting Story Arc 2 in a while, so just you wait!  
><strong>

**Okay, done with that part! :D First, this will be Irina's POV. I realized that she was a bit of a Mary-Sue with her silver hair and her different-colored eyes before, so I changed it to dark brown hair and hazel eyes! If she's in a good mood, she's constantly crazy for chocolate. AND NUTELLA. *drools* If she's in a bad mood, watch out for flying wrenches (Winry much? :3 FMA IS AMAZINGG). Reason? Her adoptive father works in a car shop. X) She helps him out a lot.  
><strong>

**Oh, yeah. CLARIFICATION. Lukas is Irina's stepbrother. :3 AND I NO OWN HETALIA BESIDES MY OC's. And I also don't own the name Remilia. ;_;  
><strong>

***coughs* Anyway. Let's go on, shall we~?**

* * *

><p><strong>Irina POV<strong>

I set down the tray of food and coffee and looked worriedly at Ivan, who sat on the gray couch, his eyes blank and staring at nothing. Toris fidgeted next to him, but he looked equally sorrowful. I had just witnessed yet another death. It seemed normal to me, after all the people in my family had died, leaving me alone. Even if it seemed normal to me, I still could feel the heartbreaking grief that tore through my heart. We, or Lukas and I, had Toris and Ivan stay over at our home for a while, after a whole lot of convincing to my step-father to let two runaways stay overnight.

Sighing, I sat next to Ivan. We were silent for a few moments, soft light filtering from the lamps in a glow and a news reporter chattering on the television, until Toris quietly said, "It's all her fault."

I didn't ask why. He already explained everything to me through his tears, back at the hospital. It seemed cruel to me, how his mother, Trisha, had treated him and Ivan that way. It made me sick. Sick with anger, mostly.

"But then it was your decision to leave your mother in the first place," came a voice from the doorway nearby the couch. I looked sideways and found Lukas, his arms crossed and leaning against the side of the door.

"The way she treated us. I hated it. She acted like we were _trash," _spat Ivan, wiping his remaining tears with his bloodied scarf. "She was like that when Father was around too. Giving us her fake sympathy, but deep inside that she really wanted to make us her slaves and do all her dirty work."

When Ivan finished, I stared at him with surprise. Toris did the same, obviously not having seen this side of his brother before. Lukas said, "Then how do you think your mom will react when she finds out that Miss Yekaterina died? She actually cares for her friends, doesn't she?"

Ivan and Toris exchanged glances. They obviously can't see that their mother would be kind at all. Even I couldn't imagine it.

"Lukas, take it easy on them," I told my step-brother gently. "They're just getting over the fact that... well, yeah. You know what I'm talking about. Now go and help Father in the garage. He told me he might need some help cleaning up for the day." When he was about to protest, my gaze hardened. "_Please._"

Lukas huffed and disappeared from view. I turned to the two brothers, and Toris gave me a light smile. "Thank you," he said.

"I'm sorry about my step-brother," I apologized. "He hates it when people die. He just tends to be that way whenever it happens."

Toris looked at me with surprise. "You speak as if you're used to it, though," he said slowly. "Did anyone in your family... _die_?" I looked down, my face slightly flushing. It wouldn't be appropriate for them to worry about me, after what they've been through.

"That's a story for another day," I said briskly, and stood up. Ivan reached for a cup of coffee on the tray, and before anyone can stop him, sipped a bit of the drink. In an instant, he almost dropped the cup and made a face.

"This is too bitter for me!" he cried, and I laughed, Toris joining in. Ivan tried suppressing a smile, but then laughed along with us. Before we knew it, Lukas burst through the door once more, almost knocking off the lamp on the table next to him and breathing heavily. I blinked rapidly, and Toris stood quickly, holding Ivan's hand.

"W-What's wrong?" I stammered, my heart racing.

"Police... in our front door," Lukas said through his labored breathing. "Questioning. The man wants Toris and Ivan. It won't take long." Ivan looked up at Toris with worry, and Toris nodded stiffly.

"Fine. We'll be there," he told Lukas, and my step-brother nodded and ran out the door once more. I went to the back of the couch and checked the front yard through the windows. Sure enough, there was a police car in the driveway, and I saw Father, a tall, strong man who looked just like Lukas, conversing with a shorter man wearing a police uniform.

"Is it all fine?" Toris asked me. I turned back and nodded, and before I could process what was happening, my hand grabbed Toris' own, catching Toris and me by surprise.

"I-I... uh, good luck, and... um, Спасибо (Thank you)," I babbled, my face flushing. Toris gave me one of his smiles, and nodded. "Yeah." Ivan, who was holding Toris' other hand, gave me a genuine smile.

"Well, I'll see you later." I let go of Toris' hand and he walked out the living room door, and I stood there after a while, and then I smacked myself on the head. _Thank you? THANK YOU? Of all phrases, I say thank you! ...But what for? _I sat on the couch and thought that over, grumbling to myself. _I'm such an idiot._

* * *

><p><strong>YOU <span>ARE<span> AN IDIOT, IRINA. LITHUANIA IS MINE AND MINE ONLY- *ahem* I didn't say anything. :3**

**...so yeah. I had Irina like Toris a little bit. And yes, someone in her family DID die. (*coughcoughmaybeALLofthemcoughcough*) XD Well, like she said, that's a story for another day- I mean, chapter. But you get what I mean.  
><strong>

**Because of the fact that I have extreme paranoia and for the sake of keeping my fanfic here, YET ANOTHER DISCLAIMER! :D *boos coming from myself* Yeah, I know, I don't own Hetalia, or the characters: Lithuania (Toris - APH), Russia (Ivan - APH), Ukraine (Yekaterina - APH), Belarus (Natalya - APH), Hungary (Elizaveta - APH), and Remilia (Remilia Scarlet - Touhou).  
><strong>

**ANYWAY, I know you can see that review button! Or I'll seriously use Busby's Chair on you! XDD  
><strong>


End file.
